


Long Way Home

by madin456



Series: zines [2]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Road Trips, Zine, and every kiss after that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:07:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23673610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madin456/pseuds/madin456
Summary: The way Kurapika’s face softens as he takes his eyes off the road for a second, leaning over to press his lips against Leorio’s forehead, makes Killua’s chest ache. He glances over at Gon and allows his mind to wander.What if—?On a road trip through the mountains and past small rural towns, traveling under a sky full of stars, Killua realizes he might be a little bit in love.
Relationships: Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck, Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight
Series: zines [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1458703
Comments: 16
Kudos: 214





	Long Way Home

**Author's Note:**

> written for [milestones: a killugon zine](https://milestonesxzine.tumblr.com/)! the lovely artwork at the bottom is drawn by [wifftins](https://twitter.com/wifftins/), my collab partner for this story!

The elderly couple who gave them directions to popular tourist attractions with warm smiles and crinkles around the edges of their eyes. The two girls they passed on their way up the rocky path, their cheeks flushed and gestures shy. The way Leorio would sometimes slow down for Kurapika because walking beside him, no matter the pace, is always better than walking alone.

Killua can see it everywhere, this thing called _love_.

For someone like him, who has been around his friends long enough to know what to look for, it’s impossible not to notice how every glance and every touch means something _more_. Even now, by the cliff on the side of a mountain, a week into their road trip, the two of them are standing together to take in the view. Leorio has an arm wrapped around Kurapika and Kurapika rests his head on Leorio’s shoulder and Killua, standing just a few steps behind them, wonders discretely if they remember that he and Gon are here too.

The trees surrounding the mountain loom over them, clusters of leaves spreading out wide enough to provide some shade from the harsh rays of sunlight. They came here in Leorio’s van, an old worn-down vehicle that’s currently parked on the side of the road. Next to it, Gon is kneeling in front of a small bush, the light filtering through the leaves shining down on him almost like a spotlight.

“I found something,” he says, getting up from his spot and making his way toward Killua.

Killua frowns. It’s not the first time he’s heard those words during this trip and if Gon dares to show him another gross insect, he thinks he’s going to have to demolish his best friend.

But what Gon holds out this time is a pale blue flower, its petals open and blooming. He comes closer until they’re standing just an inch apart and Killua, in that moment, finds himself holding his breath. With gentle fingers and a delicate touch that has his heart pounding, Gon threads the flower through strands of white hair and tucks it behind his ear.

Killua takes a step back, heat rising to his cheeks. “Wha—”

“It looks good on you!” Gon declares, shameless, and Killua wonders how he can just _say_ things like that.

He reaches a hand up to touch it, unsure what to make of it. He’s still fidgeting the flower between his fingers when Leorio calls out to them from a few meters away.

“Hey guys, come over here! Let’s take a picture together!”

Gon reacts immediately, dashing forward and running to where Leorio stands by the edge of the cliff with a kind of excitement that’s contagious. Trailing behind him, Killua follows at a much slower pace, watching as whirlwinds form on the soles of Gon’s shoes. Sometimes, he forgets that Gon holds pieces of the wilderness between his teeth, a child born to Mother Nature herself, but it’s in moments like these that Killua is reminded of his upbringing. It makes him smile.

The four of them gather in front of the beautiful mountainside view. Leorio holds the camera, arm stretched out in front of him to angle it so that everyone is captured in the frame. Just as the picture is taken with a _click_ , Killua feels Gon press up against his side, hand sliding into his and fingers interlocking so naturally that it almost causes him to trip on air.

When they eventually pack up their things and walk back down from the cliff, Gon pulls him along, swinging their arms in the space between them. Never letting go until they reach the van.

And—okay, Killua thinks. Maybe he can’t blame Leorio and Kurapika for their less-than-subtle displays of affection.

Maybe he’s a little bit in love, too.

.

The drive down from the mountain is long and winded. Unlike on the way up, with music blasting from the speakers and energetic conversations filling the air, the car is quiet for the most part as they all take some time to relax.

Killua looks out the window from his seat in the back and feels fulfillment settle deep in his bones. It’s late afternoon now but the sun is still high in the sky, a lingering warmth around them despite the breeze that blows by. In Leorio’s beat-up van, fingers finding themselves at home in Gon’s hand, Killua feels like he’s made it. Like he _belongs_.

Leorio taps on the steering wheel in a restless rhythm, occasionally reaching down to massage his legs to ease the soreness of his muscles. They’ve hiked quite a bit in the morning and Killua’s sure that they’re all feeling the burn from the exercise.

Kurapika must notice this too, because he asks, “Want me to take over?”

Killua watches Leorio glance toward the passenger seat, watches his face soften when he sees that Kurapika is fighting his own desire to sleep. “Nah, I’m good.” And even when Leorio is rubbing at his own eyes every couple of minutes, fatigue evident on his face, he still puts Kurapika first. “The next stop shouldn’t be too far, so get some rest.”

There’s a protest rising on the tip of Kurapika’s tongue, but Killua manages to speak up first. “I can drive,” he volunteers, smirking as the kind features on Leorio’s face immediately disappear when he registers the words.

“You’re crazy if you think I’ll let you drive my car,” Leorio scoffs, no doubt thinking back to the time he _did_ allow Killua to get behind the wheel right after obtaining his license. A crash and a few dents to his new van made him vow to never give inexperienced drivers control of his car after that.

Turning to look out the window again, it takes all of Killua’s willpower to stop himself from snickering. In his opinion, the car looked better with the dents. It added _character_.

Around them, the farmlands stretch out from both sides of the road, a carpet of yellow and green enticing him to observe more closely. No two areas are the same; as they drive along, he sees sections where the soil is plowed evenly into rows followed by a shift where wildlife grows unkempt and without human influence. Every couple of miles, Gon perks up at the sight of an animal, and Killua follows his gaze to discover a small herd of cows or a flock of sheep.

The road eventually leads them to a suburban area and they pass by buildings that resemble less like barns and more like those in the city. But the lack of technology is still evident as their van is the only vehicle on the street, the sound of the engine amplified in an otherwise quiet town.

“There!” Gon shouts, jumping up and almost bumping his head on the roof above him. He’s pointing at the sign up ahead that tells them there’s a restaurant approaching in the next few meters.

Just the mention of food has Killua’s stomach grumbling. Taking the next exit, Leorio turns onto the adjacent street and pulls up to the empty parking lot in front of a small diner.

As the car engine dies down, Killua’s hand moves tentatively to remove the flower tucked behind his ear. There’s no way he could ever walk into a public space with it still tangled in his hair because god, it’s so _embarrassing_ , but at the same time, he can’t bring himself to simply throw it away, either. He looks down at the petals, stroking them with a finger, before dropping it into his pocket for safekeeping. After all, it was Gon who had given it to him, and that alone is enough to make it special.

Opening the door, he follows the others out of the car as they make the short walk to the restaurant entrance. It feels nice to get to stretch his legs and stand on solid ground again after being cramped inside a vehicle with limited space for over an hour.

Once they step inside the diner, Killua is immediately hit with a wave of heat. The place is permeated by the smell of grease and fast food but all the counters and white tiles of the floor are clean. Only one table is currently occupied, where a middle-aged couple sits in the back corner of the restaurant, eating and speaking in quiet tones. The lack of customers isn’t surprising considering the mountainous regions surrounding the area and how far removed it is from civilization.

The aroma of food is alluring and when a waitress leads them to their assigned table, the four of them practically collapse onto the vinyl seats, scrambling to choose things from the menu that would satisfy the hunger in their stomachs. Killua moves to a spot by the window and Gon slides in next to him easily, effortlessly, like he’s never even considered sitting anywhere else except beside Killua. They lean in together to share a menu and he tries his best to calm the rapid beating of his heart.

As soon as the waitress returns, they become a ruckus of four voices all speaking at once to get their orders heard. In the diner with only soft music playing in the background, their group is loud and lively, but familiar. After so many meals spent like this over the past few days, Killua’s come to expect this level of energy from them, whenever food is involved.

They don’t have to wait long for their meals and Killua’s order comes first, which he is grateful for because he’s _starving_. There’s a large hamburger on the plate when the waitress serves it to him—stacked with lettuce and cheese and no pickles, just like he asked—and a scoop of mashed potatoes on the side. His mouth waters at the sight of it and just as he’s about to reach over for his first bite, Gon uses his quick reflexes to grab a spoonful of the potatoes for himself.

“Gon!” Killua scowls, betrayal in his voice. “You have your own food!”

There’s no remorse in Gon’s tone at all when he responds, as though he’s justified, “My order isn’t here yet and I’m hungry!”

Killua narrows his eyes, debating, before eventually letting out a sigh. He picks up his burger and pushes the rest of the plate over to Gon, giving up his side dish entirely. Gon beams and digs in, promising to share some of his milkshake when it arrives through bites of potato in his mouth, making his words come out all muffled and distorted. Killua only raises an eyebrow in amusement as he watches the food on his plate disappear at alarming speeds.

With Gon preoccupied, he finally gets to take a bite of the burger. His teeth sink into the bun and patty all coated in grease, and he leans back, content with the flavour of it in his mouth. Unhealthy food is so _good_.

One by one, the waitress brings them all their orders. Killua watches as Kurapika eats a serving of pasta and salad with his usual level of elegance while Leorio is shoving fries down his throat beside him. Gon, true to his word, does let Killua take a sip of his milkshake, which eventually leads to him finishing half the drink in a few large gulps.

As the sun begins to set, the four of them pay for their meals and tip the waitress generously. They leave the diner with full stomachs, climbing back into the car and slumping down in the seats, comfortable chatter filling the air. Outside, the sky is a beautiful mixture of red and orange.

They rest for a few minutes before the engine starts again and they’re off to the last destination for the day.

.

This time, Kurapika insists on driving and Leorio is too tired to argue, so he slouches down on the passenger seat and drifts off almost immediately. The way Kurapika’s face softens as he takes his eyes off the road for a second, leaning over to press his lips against Leorio’s forehead, makes Killua’s chest ache. He glances over at Gon and allows his mind to wander. _What if—?_

Turning away, he shakes his head and forces the thought out of his mind entirely.

With the sun now beneath the horizon, it feels a lot colder than it did in the afternoon. He has a long-sleeve on and can tolerate the drop in temperature for now but Gon, wearing only a T-shirt and shorts, is shivering as he rummages through one of their duffle bags. Pushing aside things to find what he’s looking for, he pulls out a sweater in triumph, creating a mess of everything else in the process. Killua pictures Kurapika’s disapproving frown when he inevitably sees the aftermath and laughs quietly to himself.

For the past few nights, they’ve been staying at small motels in the different towns they pass by. Today, though, they’re going to try sleeping under the stars.

The whole thing was Gon’s idea, and Killua had scrunched his nose at the thought of giving up a proper bed with a comfortable mattress in exchange for the hard ground, but he has to admit he’s a little excited now that it’s actually happening. The sky is clear enough tonight that he can already see a few lights sparkling overhead. By the time they prepare to sleep, he’s hoping that there will be an entire sea of stars above them.

It’s only when they finally stop, Kurapika announcing that he’s going to park the car by the side of a field, that Killua notices the sweater Gon grabbed earlier was _his_. Heat rises to his cheeks. The soft, peach colour looks good on him and it fits almost too well. He wonders if Gon realizes; if it had, maybe, been a deliberate choice.

They find a nice spot on the grass and gather some dry twigs and leaves to build a small campfire. Leorio, having just woken up, brings out two of their thickest blankets from the trunk of the van and they all huddle around the fire for warmth. Leaning against the side of the van, Gon drapes one of the blankets over himself, scooting over and motioning for Killua to join him on the other side.

Across from them, Leorio and Kurapika settle down against the trunk of a tree and light conversations pass between the four of them as they recount the events of the day. It’s well past midnight when their voices die down, the fire still burning bright. They’re going to regret sleeping out here on the hard ground with no pillows to support their necks but they’re comfortable and warm sharing this space together, and that’s all that really matters right now.

“This was fun, wasn’t it?”

Killua’s fighting the heaviness of his eyelids when he shifts to get a better look at Gon. “Hm?”

“The road trip, I mean.” Gon turns his head too and Killua finds himself staring at his lips as they move. “It’s been fun.”

“Y-yeah.” He clears his throat. “I’ve never really had a vacation like this before.”

Gon leans in closer, snuggling against Killua’s side. “We should do it again next year!”

“Sure,” Killua agrees, and as the word takes form in his mouth, he realizes how much truth it holds. He wants more adventures like this, more time spent with his friends. He’s about to ask Gon if he would be interested in going somewhere alone next time, just the two of them, but the question gets caught in his throat when he notices that their faces are only inches apart and he could just lean _forward_ —

“The stars are pretty tonight, aren’t they?” Gon whispers, but he’s not looking at the sky. His eyes are staring directly into Killua’s, unwavering, with so much intensity that Killua feels himself swallowing hard.

He doesn’t get to respond because in that moment, Gon is the one who leans forward, capturing him with a kiss. Discreetly, Killua thinks it’s fitting; out of the two of them, Gon has always been the one to take the lead.

It’s quiet out here and the air around them is still. Leorio and Kurapika have already fallen asleep, their breathing soft and distant. Killua lets his eyelids flutter shut, closing off all his senses except for the feeling of Gon’s lips on his, the shape of Gon’s mouth against his own. He can hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears even long after they break apart and when they eventually seek each other out again and again, it never stops.

Their first kiss is special, but the second one? The third one? All the others after that?

Even more so.

High in the sky, the twinkling stars are their only witness as they thread their fingers together under the blanket and through each other’s hair. They learn, finally, how to express the unspoken things they’ve skirted around for so long. Away from civilization, a week into their road trip, they reach out to a space located somewhere between the secrets they keep to themselves and the secrets they share with the universe, and trust that their hands will find each other, always.

Killua gives himself to Gon the only way he knows how: fully and sincerely and with an abundance of love. When their lips touch again, not a minute later, he can feel Gon giving all of that back to him, tenfold.

They’re a long way from home, practically in the middle of nowhere, but Killua decides that he doesn’t mind because Leorio is here, and so is Kurapika. And— _Gon_.

He’ll go anywhere in the world, as long as Gon is by his side.

**Author's Note:**

> i missed writing for these boys. find me on tumblr and twitter @chaasiu


End file.
